Simon first picked up a guitar when he was fifteen. As an ardent folk music fan Simon wanted nothing more than to play Donovan tunes such as “Jennifer Juniper”. That all changed when Simon ‘s elder brother threw a spanner in the works, handing him an unwanted (why? why?) copy of the legendary John Fahey’s 1968 album the “Yellow Princess”. This had a profound effect on Simon’s playing, and in his first year he learned to play tracks off said album. “Listening to John Fahey was an extraordinary experience – his fusion of classical, blues, rag time and other styles just blew my mind”.

For over 2 decades, Simon has composed his own music, but it has only been in the last 2 years that he decided to sit down and record anything. “To be honest, I didn’t really take what I was doing very seriously.” Everything changed a couple of years ago when Simon decided to get a decent acoustic guitar with ‘real’ tone. Simon hasn’t looked back since, and is writing more songs now than at any time in his life.

“I love writing songs, especially with lyrics, because at a certain point, for reasons I still don’t understand, the songs seem to write themselves, crazy as that may sound”. Whatever the reasons, Simon’s music is constantly evolving, with styles ranging from classical, folk, blues and country melded into a harmonious and enchanting blend.

All Songs by Simon Atherley. © 2006-2007